How to Choose a Best Portable Camping Stove or Backpacking Stove That Lasts Long

Do you think you ​can cook any type of food when you are outside camping, picnicking, hiking?Why not, right?

Cooking food together with family friends during outdoor event is lot more than fun! It always doesn't have to be outdoor, most of the recommended best camping oven in the list here selected by our Pros are best also for indoor daily routines.

Cook delicious food and enjoy your camping. Cooking delicious food and awesome cooking experience can only come with the great camping oven, stove you use to cook food! Some other things become important when you are cooking during camping, about which we will discuss in another article. But this time lets focus only on portable camping stoves.

Before you spend money on such portable camping stoves, read some Dos and Don's.

How to Choose a camping stove or Backpacking Stove.

​When deciding how to choose the best portable camp stove for you, the following GUIDES can help you choose:

Stove type: Backpacking stoves are loosely categorized by the type of fuel they use and how the fuel is stored.Stove specs and features: Burn time, average boil time, weight and convenience features may help you narrow your choices.

Stove usage tips: Understanding some of the nuances of how a stove works will ensure that you’re making an informed decision and also getting the best out of your purchase when you’re out in the field.

You might want one type of stove for fast-and-light backpacking in summer, and another type for a group trip in winter. For more details about your options, read below to find types of camp stoves and how they use in different weather and groups.

What to look for when buying portable camping stoves.

1. Check if Wind Block panels are in the set.2. Find out Use of fuel type, more on fuel types below.3. How much fuel required?4. Easy to clean?5. Can fuel/propane canister be reused meaning disconnect when done and reconnect when needed.6. Weight: How heavy is it? Can you carry easily for long camping?7. BTU - What​ is a BTU means?British thermal units (BTU or Btu) are the units that measure the heat given off by your gas burner. One BTU will raise the heat of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. So more BTU, faster you will cook for more people!8. Find out Boil time, burn time.

Liquid fuel stoves: These versatile stoves connect to refillable fuel bottles. While most liquid-fuel stoves run on white gas, you do have other options available, which can be a particular benefit if you’re traveling internationally. Alternative-fuel stoves: This growing category includes stoves that run on fuel pellets or wood.Liquid-fuel Stoves: A liquid fuel stove connected to a small fuel tank. All liquid-fuel stoves run on white gas, which is highly refined to have few or no impurities. It burns hot and clean, performs well in below-freezing temperatures and, compared to the per-ounce cost of canister fuel, is much less expensive.

Some multi-fuel stoves can also run on some or all of the following: unleaded auto gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel or diesel.

Fuel versatility makes multi-fuel stoves a great choice for international travelers who face limited fuel choices outside the U.S. (We don't recommend the use of unleaded auto gas from a gas station pump because of gasoline additives that can damage your stove.)

Wood-burning fueled stoves are good for larger groups, cold weather, high elevation, simmering, international travel and they are easy to use.

Alcohol tablet fueled stoves are good for larger groups, cold weather, high elevation, simmering, international travel but may not be easy to as compared to wood burning.

Liquid fuel is good for ultralight hiking and is very easy to use, but may not be good for cold weather, high elevation.

Canister fueled portable camping stoves are good for boiling water, large groups and international travel but may not be good for cold weather, high elevation.

There are two main downsides to liquid-fuel stoves:

Most require priming, which involves igniting a few drips of fuel in a cup below the burner, creating a small flame that preheats the fuel line. This enables the stove to convert liquid fuel into a vapor. You will need to pump your fuel bottle, too, to increase pressure.

They also require periodic maintenance, such as cleaning the fuel hose or replacing O-rings (in the stove and on fuel bottles). There may be many little parts and pieces to keep track of.

​Liquid fuel stoves

Pros:

Liquid-fuel stoves tend to be low-profile and offer greater stability on uneven ground.It’s easy to tell how much fuel you have left by peering into the fuel bottle.While you do have to buy a fuel bottle, there’s no canister to discard.These stoves perform better than other options at high elevations and in cold temperatures.

Cons:

​Priming and maintenance are required.Fuel spills are possible.They tend to be heavier than canister stoves.Multi-fuel stoves can cost a bit more.Fuels other than white gas have more impurities that may, over time, clog stove parts such as the fuel tube.

CANISTER stoves

​Canister stoves are easy to use and low-maintenance.They screw onto the threaded tops of closed fuel canisters that contain two pre-pressurized gases: isobutane and propane. Some of these stoves are incredibly small, fold up compactly and weigh only a few ounces. They may be usable in some international destinations that cater to American trekkers.

Pros:

​They’re small and lightweight.They’re quick to light. No priming is necessary before lighting a canister stove. Simply turn the valve and light with a match, lighter or piezo-igniter.The flame adjusts easily and simmers well (most models).The canister self-seals when you unscrew the stove, so there’s no worry about spills and leaks.Some canister stoves have a built-in pressure regulator to provide consistent heat output throughout the life of the canister. This improves cold weather and high-elevation performance, too.

Cons:

​​Their arms may not be long enough to hold large pots securely.It’s tough to know how much gas is left inside the closed canister, so you may want to carry an extra to be sure you don’t run out. (A small 4-ounce canister makes a good backup.)A windscreen should not be used with an on-canister stove because it can trap excessive heat and lead to fuel exploding.In cold weather, canisters can depressurize and produce a weak flame (unless the stove has a pressure regulator)Compared to liquid-fuel stoves, the cost of fuel is greater.Canister waste: Empty canisters need to be disposed of properly; you’ll want to research recycling options near you.

Coleman 2000016462 Camp Oven

​Bake up cinnamon rolls, muffins and corn bread or just keep your food warm at the campsite without packing all that bulk. The Coleman Camp Oven is designed to fit on Coleman Liquid Fuel and propane camp stoves and then folds down flat for compact storage. The rack adjusts to three heights and also includes an easy-to-read thermometer. The smooth aluminized steel cleans easily and resists corrosion, scratches and scuffs.

Cooking experience on this Coleman 2000016462 Camp Oven.

Tested on range top because of cold wet weather. Considering previous comments I tried a large ceramic floor tile on the floor of the oven. Too big to allow airflow and too thin, less than 1/4" to act as thermal bank. Tried my Lodge round cast iron trivet which has a number of round holes, since it was something I already take on outdoor trips. Works reasonably well so far. More happy with it that dragging a heavy pizza stone around. RVers might not be concerned by the stone.

Biscuits, cinnamon rolls, small pizzas all came out well after a few tries with adjusting gas heat source. Just as with built in ovens a thermometer is essential. Largest item so far has been a 3lb meatloaf baked in square heavy ga. steel pan. Came out great, nice and juicy with a bit of crust.

How to operate this portable camping oven?

This oven USES PROPANE. Open and make sure its fastened properly. Secure the rack inside to desired height. I find the middle to work well when baking. Turn on your propane burner. Set it securely on the burner. Watch the gauge and adjust flame as needed. Works really well if you have a wind blind around it.

It's a great stove for any event! It heats up very nicely, in fact I had a little difficulty running it in the 250 degree range as it wanted to shoot up to 350 or more, at least with my camp stove. I purchased a heat diffuser and placed it over the burner for better control. Like others said, the thermometer in the door registers lower than the actual temp in the oven, about 50 degrees lower on mine. Once you know that, it's not a problem. We were thinking of getting one of those camp stove/oven combos for considerably more and with a lot more storage space taken up. Very glad we didn't.

​​Can an adapter and propane tank be used with this burner?

YES - Of course

A grill mat cut to size works very well to warm up buns, rolls and such. Seems to give more uniform heating without dropping crumbs to oven base. Excellent for roasting veggies.

13.5 x 12.9 x 3.3 Inch

​Assembly is very easy, just get the tabs and slots aligned correctly. Minor quibble with the wire rack. This folding oven is really quite amazing considering the cheap price, a real bargain.​

​Quick tortilla snack with melted cheese, onion and pepperoni on the grill mat turned out with a nice crisp crust. Melted cheese runoff came up with the tortilla, leaving no mess. ​ A perfect Camping stoves.